The Government have this afternoon announced they will be u-turning on A-Level and GCSE results and results in England will now be based on teacher-assessed grades.
This follows widespread outrage at over 40 per cent of students having their predicted grades marked down – in some cases as many as three grades.
The BBC report that Ofqual chair Roger Taylor and Education Secretary Gavin Williamson apologised for the “distress” caused.
Mr Williamson said,
“I am sorry for the distress this has caused young people and their parents but hope this announcement will now provide the certainty and reassurance they deserve.”
All of UK aligned
Earlier today, Isle of Wight Conservative MP, Bob Seely, told News OnTheWight that there was a case to consider the Scottish Government’s approach.
They had also been joined by the Northern Irish and Welsh Governments to announce grades would be awarded based on the teacher assessments.
Seely: Urged Government to consider same approach as Scotland
Following this afternoon’s announcement, Bob Seely said,
“I welcome this clear statement from the Government. I appreciate that the last few days have been difficult for many students on the Island, and I am grateful to those constituents who have made contact with me on this important issue.
“I share the concerns of those who felt that Ofqual’s initial approach to A-level grading was having an adverse impact on some young people’s futures – and I urged the Government to consider adopting the same approach for England as has been done in Scotland. I am pleased that they have now done this.
“We must take account of the fact that we are living in unprecedented times and recognise what our young people – and their families – have been through over recent months.
“I extend congratulations to those students who will now also receive the grades they deserve, and wish them all well for the future.”
Seely: Welcome clarity the Government has provided
He finished by saying,
“I look forward to seeing the results for GCSEs on Thursday, and I welcome the clarity the Government has provided on this front. I hope that many of these GCSE students will now be able to progress into further education or other training opportunities on the Island, or elsewhere.
“We must ensure that all schools, colleges and other education institutions are open, in full, this autumn.”
There will be a huge sigh of relief from many pupils and parents.
Article edit
4.50pm 17th Aug 2020 – Statement from Bob Seely added
Source: The Guardian
Image: mulmatsherm under CC BY 2.0
